And yet another Koningsdam Dec 12-19 Mexican Riviera review (some pix, some details)

[CruiseMGM]

I'll try to keep this short, but "short" really isn't my forte. Why say in 2 words what you can say in 10? But I'll give it a whirl anyway. 

 

We booked our cruise in May, with high hopes that Covid would be a thing of the past by the time we sailed. UGH. But one of the main reasons we booked a Mexican Riviera was so that we could gain the lovely laundry perk on our next cruises! We were only 6 credits away from 4 star. So we booked a bare bones cruise in an obstructed cabin on the Koningsdam. No perks, except for HAL's insurance. DH and I are of the age (mid 60's) where we just don't think it's wise to sail without. We normally book through an agent, but booked through the HAL website this time. Yes, we're cheating on our agent. Shhhhhhh, don't tell her.

 

Our original plan was to drive to San Diego the day of embarkation. Upon second thought, and remembering we were so close to Christmas and traffic was likely to be BAD-BAD-BAD, we decided to overnight in Temecula and visit family we haven't seen for a while. So that's what we set out to do.

 

The fly in the ointment was when CVS canceled our 4pm Friday 12/10 Covid tests on Friday at noon. Talk about a scramble!! We managed, but it was pretty stressful. Negative results finally in hand, we set out Saturday morning and drove to the hotel we'd booked in Temecula. An old motor-hotel it was, right beside the freeway and with a really hard bed. But it was clean, and only for one night, so we survived. It was great to see family and have dinner and visit at their home.

 

We'd previously booked parking at the Wyndham really close to the terminal, so we got there on Sunday about noon and parked. Easy peasy. We were a few hours early for our embark time (2pm), so we decided to walk over and make sure we knew where we were going, then maybe have a lunch nearby. We walked down the street and across it and the guard/greeter said "go get your bags, there's no line!" So we did and it was the easiest embarkation we'd ever done. I'd swear we were on the ship within 10 minutes. No lines, no crowd, no nothing. Our stateroom was ready, so we just settled in and later went for a drink by the Sea View Pool.

 

Our stateroom was very nice and we had really good stewards (Mardi and I Gusti). But we'd never been in a Pinnacle Class ship before, and the previous cruises on which we've had obstructed verandas were on other class ships. The Pinnacle Class (or at least the Koningsdam) is very different; obstructed really IS obstructed. I'm sure most of you reading this know that, but we didn't. It was ok, but it wouldn't be my first choice next time. I'll post a few pictures here and there so that you can see what looking out our balcony was like. We still enjoyed being out on the balcony! Fresh air and sunsets and moon-rises, it was lovely.

 

I'll try to post a few pictures here.......leaving San Diego behind and heading out to sea near Point Loma.

 

[CruiseMGM]

I'm sure everyone has seen lots of pictures of the Koningsdam, so I won't post a lot. 

 

According to our CC pier person-in-the-know (thank you, David!), the ship had less than 1100 passengers. The crew was a little under 900. It was HEAVENLY. There were no lines anywhere we went. We were able to change dining reservations whenever we wanted. We found chairs or lounges where we wanted. It was great. I kept telling DH that we REALLY needed to appreciate this, because it's likely it will never happen again. I'm not sure how well HAL did (monetarily) on this cruise, but we proceeded to help by ordering up-charge items, specialty dining, drinks and DH found the whiskey tasting bar, Notes, and decided to attend 6 of the 7 whiskey tastings. Hey, happy husband, happy life! As long as he doesn't make me drink that vile stuff, I'm ok with it! Give me a mango mojito with Malibu rum and I'll be happy as can be!

 

We had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill the first night and really enjoyed it. Our LAST Pinnacle Grill dinner was on the Nieuw Amsterdam in August and it wasn't up to its usual standards. So we were very happy with our meal on the Koningsdam.

 

The sunset on our first sea day heading south was GORGEOUS. We really liked the ship's layout and public spaces. Here's our first sunset, my favorite pastries (tastes like pecan pie, supremely yummy!), and the gingerbread house display near the Grand Dutch cafe. The Christmas decorations on the Koningsdam were lovely, but maybe a little bit minimal. There were a few trees around, and some big ornaments, etc., but it wasn't "in your face" or around every corner. 

[CruiseMGM]

I think it was the bed in Temecula that did it, but I was having some back issues and they pretty much lasted the whole cruise. So we didn't do a lot. We'd only planned one excursion and hadn't really decided what to do in our other ports. It turns out that we didn't even get off the ship in Cabo. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I'm sure it was fun going ashore, but we just enjoyed the view.

 

We had dinner this night in Sel De Mer. It was a first for us, as it had only been available as a pop-up on previous cruises, but Koningsdam has a dedicated restaurant. It was fabulous. Our waiter Marko provided really good service and ..... we pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves. There was one other couple across the room, so it was a really intimate dining experience and we really enjoyed ourselves. DH had the seafood salad tower (really, a TOWER!) and I had the lobster salad which was simply wonderful! We also splurged and ordered an extra entree, the lobster, which was divine. My shrimp provencal and DH's pan-fried fresh fish didn't hold a candle to the lobster, and yet they were also both very good. The lobster was worth the upcharge. Loved the little tower of pre-dessert treats! Just a suggestion, if you have a glass of wine, please be sure to finish the wine BEFORE you have the crepes suzette. The crepes were delicious, but they definitely did not play nicely with the rest of my wine! 

 

Here's Land's End from the bay, leaving Cabo looking aft from our balcony, the marinated lobster salad from Sel De Mer, and the treat tree pre-dessert.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

That sunset is beautiful!  Wow, I can't believe sel de mer was so empty for you.  I couldn't even get in the first week and I tried to book the minute I go on the ship.  I'm enjoying your review so far.  Congratulations on becoming a 4 star for your next cruise!

[CruiseMGM]

The seas were calm on the entire cruise. Yes, there was a little motion of the ocean here or there, but HEY, you're on the ocean, and it was definitely minimal. Of course, we were on deck 4 just a little forward of mid-ship, and others may have experienced it differently. 

 

We didn't really have any plans in Mazatlan, but decided to get off the ship (we dock in the industrial port) and take the tram to the shops. The Panorama was docked behind us, so there were 2 ships in port. As we got off the ship, there was a little booth offering the Hop-on/Hop-off bus ride, so we decided to give that a try. It was about $55pp and there are 4 stops, one for the "cliff divers" (trust me, this is NOT Acapulco!), another mid-town for markets and cathedral, another near the acquarium, and finally the last stop in the Golden Zone, where there are lots of high-end shops and restaurants and hotels. As we approached the drop-off spot, we noticed a restaurant we'd visited on a previous trip and decided on an early lunch. Walked back (avoided the "come, see" all along the way) and had a wonderful lunch at The Shrimp Factory. Come to think of it, I think we'd visited The Shrimp Factory in Cabo, but maybe not in Mazatlan. Anyway, our combination plate for 2 was delicious!

 

We had dinner tonight in Tamarind, and our server Yuli was funny and friendly and really enhanced our meal. We decided to fill the HAL coffers a little more and ordered the up-charge wok-seared lobster (are you noticing a trend? we live in the desert and so good seafood is a bit of a rarity here!). WOW, absolutely worth the up-charge, it was fantastic. All the other food was really good, too.

 

Florida_gal_50, thanks for your comment! We booked Sel De Mer (and all our specialty restaurants) pre-cruise, online. You're charged full price when you do that, but you're supposed to get the Mariner discount refunded as OBC after you've dined. As others have mentioned on other threads, it's not without issues! I contacted Guest Services (via the Navigator app) after each meal to make sure the discount was applied..............and I don't think I ever got the discount for our last night in Canaletto. You'd think it would be automatic, but nooooooooo. I will say that I really appreciated the "let us know" in the Navigator app, as we didn't have to spend any time in line at Guest Services (except for once when DH lost his room card, I can't take him anywhere!). They were very responsive to messages from the app, too. Oh and by the way, they really DO read the messages. The room manager of Sel De Mer stopped up at Tamarind during out dinner there, to thank us for our feedback I'd sent via the app!

 

Here's the Panorama docked behind the Koningsdam in Mazatlan, the Malecon and a statue from the tour bus, Shrimp Factory lunch, and our Tamarind lobster.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Great review! Thanks for posting. And best colorful sky I've ever seen.

[Florida_gal_50]

I did book a couple of my restaurants ahead but I don't like to book too many because of the exchange.  I already had some USD that I took so that is like sunk money already so I don't feel the pain as much.

 

I'm glad you got responses from your comments on the Nav app.  Mine seemed to go into cyberspace.

I wish they'd get it together with the mariner discounts.  So annoying!

 

Thanks also for the info on the hop on hop off in Mazatlan.  I think I may do that next time.  I enjoyed the shops in the building where you got dropped off.  I bought some nice items in there.  

 

The food pics are great!

[CruiseMGM]

We had a warm and steamy day in Puerta Vallarta! Old Town is about 3 and 1/2 miles from where we dock, so we kinda stayed put and just did a little shopping in the port stores. There wasn't a lot there, and it looks like it's partially unfinished. But there was some Duty Free, and some souvenir stores, a chocolate store and DH says he saw a small shop where you could get a margarita. They were creating a small ice rink (Christmas skating?) in the center of the buildings, and that was quite interesting! 

 

The excursion we'd set up was a Sunset Sail on Puerto Vallarta bay, and with tickets ready on our Navigator app, we headed off ship to meet up at 4:20pm. A short wait and walk later and we were stepping onto our sailboat. They motored out of the marina and into the open bay. Yes, there was definite motion-to-the-ocean here, and they raised the sails and we mainly sailed along the coast. I'd say there were about 20 of us onboard, along with the captain and crew, who were all friendly and personable. Margaritas or pina coladas or beer was provided, as well as some snacks. The snacks were actually quite good. A plate of crackers (ah, crackers!! you don't see them onboard any more because of the individual packaging) with cheeses and sliced meats, and later, fresh guacamole and chips. They tasted really good with a Pacifico beer! DH had the margaritas but said they weren't very strong. All well and good on a rocking boat, says I, that's for certain!

 

I have to say that the sunset kinda failed...................but nobody cared, coz there were WHALES in the bay!! That was completely unexpected! The captain said he saw whales out beyond, but we doubted him. Then, as I was just gazing "out beyond"'...............I saw this huge creature leap from the water and shouted BREACH!!!!! and then there was another breach. Then 2 more breaches! The breaches were quite a ways away, but the small pod (our captain said it was a mama, her baby and a protector, and I didn't doubt him again) came closer and we just had a really lovely, and totally unexpected, show. It was really amazing. Some of the younger people on our little sailboat were entertainment staff on the ship and they tried singing to the whales, the young ladies had really beautiful voices and I guess you just had to have been there, but it was fun and beautiful and just a really great tour.

 

Saw the moonrise over PV, got back to the ship after dark, and had a late dinner in Nami Sushi with Yuli, it had been a really fun day. 

 

A few pictures here, of the shoreline of PV, and whales, the ship at night, and our sushi. DH likes the raw, but I only go for the cooked or veggie. And the cooked (shrimp tempura roll, California roll, and tempura lobster roll) were OUTSTANDING. DH liked the sashimi of tuna and salmon. He said the yellowtail was a little more "fish forward" than those others. Whatever. Happy husband, happy life! Just don't give me an after dinner kiss!

[CruiseMGM]

10 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I did book a couple of my restaurants ahead but I don't like to book too many because of the exchange.  I already had some USD that I took so that is like sunk money already so I don't feel the pain as much.

 

I'm glad you got responses from your comments on the Nav app.  Mine seemed to go into cyberspace.

I wish they'd get it together with the mariner discounts.  So annoying!

 

Thanks also for the info on the hop on hop off in Mazatlan.  I think I may do that next time.  I enjoyed the shops in the building where you got dropped off.  I bought some nice items in there.  

 

The food pics are great!

 

Ah, yes, the dreaded conversion pains, I feel for you and understand!

 

I swear, our responses from our Nav app feedback were great. Guest Services a couple of times, our server Yuli once........ I was kinda shocked. Then I felt like I had to comment every day so they wouldn't miss me, LOL! 

 

Thanks for the comment on the food pix. I love my Pixel phone! But it's probably time for a new one, my microphone has bit the dust. On a bright note, I can't talk to my mother in law any more! Just kidding, just kidding. She's a gem. Sometimes. 

[Florida_gal_50]

Your excursion that you took in Puerto Vallarta is the one I bailed on.  I just didn't feel like going.  I did watch them board and it looked a little awkward to get on and a bit cramped.  I've got bad knees and at times stairs are not my friend.  Also don't want to be sitting really close to others.  

 

I'm sure I had Yuli as a server.  The name is very familiar.

Edited December 21, 2021 by Florida_gal_50

[CruiseMGM]

We headed north after Puerta Vallarta, and were now on the sunrise-side of the ship. Saw a little land here and there along the way (even picked out Land's End in the distance!) and kinda wandered around the ship and took some more pictures. And we ate more, of course. We had lunch in the PG one sea day and were treated to a great view of dolphins frolicking and leaping in the waves (sorry, no pix through those windows). 

 

Breakfast tray (well, FIRST breakfast anyway, can't get moving without some coffee. And a pastry) and you can see out our balcony, the Grand Dutch cafe (DH loved the ham and Edam cheese sandwich, while the bacon and apple "pannenkoek" was MY favorite!), Blend (become a winemaker!), Notes (the whiskey bar where DH spent a fortune on tastings......happy husband, what?), and some of the stairwell art that was really interesting....portraits made of little "pieces" on pins.

[CruiseMGM]

A few more ship or food pix, the apple bacon pannenkoek from the Grand Dutch Cafe (it's like a crepe, really terribly delicious, I limited myself to 2 on the entire cruise.......and my mouth is watering as I type about them), moonrise from our balcony, our dishes from our last night's dinner in Canaletto, including the crab risotto (delicious but NOT a small plate, and very rich), coming into port in San Diego and one last indulgent breakfast with a crepe, this time in the Lido. Maybe a few more pix, I'll look through and see if there's anything grand that I missed.

 

Thanks for reading!

[GTVCRUISER]

Great photo`s Thank You 

[CruiseMGM]

11 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Your excursion that you took in Puerto Vallarta is the one I bailed on.  I just didn't feel like going.  I did watch them board and it looked a little awkward to get on and a bit cramped.  I've got bad knees and at times stairs are not my friend.  Also don't want to be sitting really close to others.  

 

I'm sure I had Yuli as a server.  The name is very familiar.

 

With my back acting up, I was a little worried about that one too. You may have made a good choice, it was definitely a little cramped, and once seated, I wasn't getting back up again until we were back at land (not so steady on my feet on a small boat). Thankfully, not too many stairs, but there were a few onto and off of the boat. DH and I had a small seat together, but the entertainment staff "kids" were seated in front of the windows in the cabin without any back support (which I wouldn't have wanted). They were young, though, so not a problem for them. One of them apparently didn't do too well with the waves, and his teammates were teasing him about being green. I was grateful that the motion didn't bother my back, and maybe the movement helped a bit. I, too, worried a little about being so close to other people, but as we were outside and it was breezy, I just kept my fingers crossed. 

 

So this isn't a really good picture, but it's probably the best one I have of one of the breaches in PV bay. You can see how far away the whale was, and my little phone was already digitally zoomed, so I decided against cropping it, it would only get fuzzier. 

[CruiseMGM]

I can't believe I almost forgot. Guess it's because there aren't any pictures!

 

Easiest disembark we've ever had. We did self-assist and exited our room about 7:45, stood in a fairly short line of other self-assisters for maybe 10 minutes. Then off the ship, through Customs and Border in maybe another 2 minutes, out of the terminal and walking to our car. We were probably in our car, driving out of the parking garage, by 8am. The drive home that early in the day avoided the dreaded pre-Christmas traffic and we were rolling our suitcases into our house about 2pm.

 

I don't expect we'll ever experience such an uncrowded and easy voyage again, as that would be terrible for the cruiseline (they're in business to make money, after all!), but we definitely appreciated our time aboard on this trip. Masks and all.

[CruiseMGM]

1 hour ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Great review! Thanks for posting. And best colorful sky I've ever seen.

 

😉 Here's one more, same night but just a few minutes later. It was truly spectacular, it really wasn't the phone making weird adjustments or filters. Saw something similar long ago on the beach near San DIego, must be something to do with the Baja area!

[cat shepard]

20 minutes ago, CruiseMGM said:

 

😉 Here's one more, same night but just a few minutes later. It was truly spectacular, it really wasn't the phone making weird adjustments or filters. Saw something similar long ago on the beach near San DIego, must be something to do with the Baja area!

 

Just spectacular. Belongs on canvas. 

[GTVCRUISER]

Sunrise on the Koningsdam December 10th 2021 

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, CruiseMGM said:

 

With my back acting up, I was a little worried about that one too. You may have made a good choice, it was definitely a little cramped, and once seated, I wasn't getting back up again until we were back at land (not so steady on my feet on a small boat). Thankfully, not too many stairs, but there were a few onto and off of the boat. DH and I had a small seat together, but the entertainment staff "kids" were seated in front of the windows in the cabin without any back support (which I wouldn't have wanted). They were young, though, so not a problem for them. One of them apparently didn't do too well with the waves, and his teammates were teasing him about being green. I was grateful that the motion didn't bother my back, and maybe the movement helped a bit. I, too, worried a little about being so close to other people, but as we were outside and it was breezy, I just kept my fingers crossed. 

 

So this isn't a really good picture, but it's probably the best one I have of one of the breaches in PV bay. You can see how far away the whale was, and my little phone was already digitally zoomed, so I decided against cropping it, it would only get fuzzier. 

Thank you.  I think I'm glad I took a pass on it.

[Heartgrove]

This is my view of the December 10, 2021 sunrise on the Koningsdam. There are no enhancements! It just shows how quickly the light changes in less than 1 minute as I shot a few. This and another are the most intense..

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Heartgrove

[cattman]

We were on this sailing and cannot emphasize enough how lovely a time we had. I agree with the OP that a cruise like this one, with such amazing service and few fellow cruisers is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

 

After 30 some cruises(most with Princess, where we are Elite) this one definitely ranks in the top three. It was so 'old school'.. every one on the service team was so friendly and efficient - to a one everyone greeted us whenever we passed. For the first time in I don't know how long the wait team in the dining room(Club Orange) remembered our names, saved our favorite table for us at breakfast and dinner, and our drink preferences were always waiting for us(even remembered that my wife likes extra butter). Food was surprisingly good - the halibut was as good as any fish we've had at the best seafood restaurants in LA. Pinnacle dinner was also the best specialty dining experience we have ever had on any ship. Entertainment was excellent, with never a problem getting a seat(and easy social distancing). Planet Earth shows were absolutely amazing! Band in BB Kings exceptional.

 

Room stewards were the best we've ever had, with towel animals(see below) and chocolates every day(we did pretip upon first meeting, we've found a few dollars up front goes a long way). Balcony in our cabin was so large my wife was able to jump rope while I lounged with a cold beer.. I just cannot say enough about how much we enjoyed this cruise and the ship.

 

Here's my favorite: The Towel Manimal

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by cattman

[PSR]

Loved the review and the photos! Thanks! 😀

[LuAnn]

Thanks everyone for the reviews and pics!! Our friends were on board the week prior to this one and they just loved every minute of the 2 cruises!! This was their first time on HAL and they said their best cruise ever! They thought the food was great and said they may jump ship from Celebrity!!

 

I'm going to book the sailing for Xmas week in '22...wish us luck!! 🙂